Hamstring Injuries

Jan 1, 2002

Q: I am a freshman in high school and have been running for 2 years. I got injured in 8th grade from a hamstring injury after running a mile in 4:57 and then I injured the other hamstring running cross country. I always seem to get hamstring injuries after running good times. Do you have any suggestions on how I could prevent so many hamstring injuries? Also, does it really help your times to run year round and does playing other sports in between affect running? Finally, what kind of times do I need to get a collegiate scholarship? --Brian

A: You definitely are college scholarship material if you can break 5:00 minutes for 1600 while in 8th grade. I think you could get down into the low range of 4:10 to 4:15 by your senior year.

You need to start solving your hamstring problems by first seeing if better hydration and mineral intake will help. It sounds like you are getting muscle spasms (cramps) which can be relieved by adding calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium supplements of 100% RDA to your diet. If this does not prevent them, see a physical therapist to test your strength/flexibility ratios of your quads and hamstrings. Perhaps you are growing faster than your muscles can catch up with your new bone length. At any rate, here's a great article by coach Bill Misner, PhD about cramping for you to read and to show your coach: Muscle Cramps: Dealing with Heat Stress During Endurance Exercise.

And yes, running year round will definitely help you improve. If you want to be a runner, run more and play other sports less. You can be a well-rounded athlete later in life when you can't run fast anymore.

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